“What is it?” Kentucky asked in surprise. “Just a gony—an albatross,” said Ted. “He lit on my head and now he bites me for the tenth time. Give me a light.” Kentucky held a light on it while Ted cut the strap that held the huge bird. Then he tossed the gony into the sea. “I was keeping it for emergency rations,” he laughed. Five minutes later he was in the plane, and they were roaring away. “Just one more incident in the great war,” Ted said. “Some get rescued and some don’t.” “It’s all a matter of luck,” said Kentucky. “Providence, luck, and pals,” Ted added. “There’s more work of the same kind to be done,” said Kentucky. “I think I’ve got Jack and Stew located on one of those three islands.” “Great stuff! How did you do it?” “Stew’s got some kind of radio. Not very strong, but I got him. He told me in a sort of code that they were on this end of the biggest island.” “That’s swell!” Ted exclaimed. “Going after them is my job. Jack’s from my home town.” “Say! That’s keen!” said Kentucky. They flew on. At the same time, on the island, with the aid of the girl, Jack was making a startling discovery. She walked with surprising speed over the jungle trail. Only now and then did she take his hand for an instant to whisper, “Over a log here” or “Up a low ledge now.” “I didn’t want the natives to know,” she murmured low. “There might have been trouble if they saw what you are going to see. I didn’t want a fight—not now.” “Know what?” Jack wanted to ask, but did not. What a queer girl this was! Her skin was dark, her nose was rather broad, and her lips seemed thick, yet she was surely not like the others. “Been raised by some missionary,” he told himself. He knew well enough that there were such girls. He had seen some of them in the Solomons. Some were nurses. He thought again of the nurse’s uniform hidden at the foot of a huge palm. Had the girl been a native nurse? “Up now,” she whispered, gripping his hand. They climbed straight up a rocky ledge. At the crest she pushed him down to a place beside her. “Look down,” she whispered. He looked, then stared. Almost directly beneath them, surprisingly close and all lit up by a near-by campfire, was the mystery plane. Seated around the fire were not two men, but five. Three were small, the others large. Just then the two large men stood up. One was tall and rather thin, the other short and stout. “Not the same men!” Jack whispered in astonishment. “No, they’re not,” she agreed. “The three little men are Japs.” “Japs!” Jack could feel prickles at the back of his neck. “What does it mean?” “Danger!” came in a low whisper. CHAPTER XIX MYSTERIES DEEPEN